Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Study: C-sections Rose 50% in Calif. Over 10-Year Period

A study released Monday by the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative found that the number of caesarean births rose by 50% in California from 1998 to 2008. According to the study, the rate of c-section births increased from 22% to 33% of all births during the 10-year period. The study's authors linked the increase to early labor hospital admissions, financial incentives for doctors who offer c-sections, and "awareness gaps" among pregnant women, clinicians and policymakers. The authors recommended that physicians, hospitals and insurers establish quality improvement programs to reduce c-sections among low-risk women. The study was funded by the California HealthCare Foundation, which publishes California Healthline.